Bullies have many opportunities during the course of a school day to verbally harass, physically abuse, and emotionally scar their victims. For bullies, the time between classes is the highlight of their day. The 5 to 7 minutes that campuses allow their students to get from class to class is a prime opportunity for bullies to thrive and victims to suffer.

Many bullies sit patiently in the classroom just waiting for that bell to ring. And when it does, they bolt into action! While bullies love this few minutes of freedom, the victims are terrified of what might happen during this time. While constantly looking over their shoulders and praying that no one will bother them, the victims cautiously make their way to class. Many have learned to take a different route so that they are less likely to see the person or persons that are making their lives miserable.

To assist in reducing the number of bullying incidents, teachers should monitor the halls in between classes. This should be a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many teachers decide to stay in their classrooms during this time. At most campuses, the teachers are required to stand outside their classrooms in between classes. However, some teachers choose not to follow campus policy. This attitude promotes bullying by reducing the number of eyes required to properly monitor the hallways. In addition, it puts more responsibility on the teachers who are doing their part to monitor.

Many teachers feel that the time between classes could be utilized more productively by getting their students organized, receiving homework assignments, and communicating with the students about unresolved issues. Although these are important components for teachers to consider, nothing is more important than the safety of the students. Teachers should never completely ignore the students that have arrived to their class, nor should teachers completely focus on the activity outside the classroom. Instead, teachers should occasionally check on the students who are in the class. Directives could be given to those students, and then the focus should once again be directed to the hallway. For teachers to stand outside of their classroom and merely watch the students pass by is not sufficient. Teachers must be vigilant. Teachers must know who the bullies are and who the potential victims are.

These are the students to which the teacher should pay close attention. Staff members should have a set of signals to use to inform each other of potential problems. Something as simple as eye contact or a nod of the head could alert a teacher to a potential problem coming their way. If bullying is going to be eliminated from schools, campus monitoring is imperative. Actively monitoring the hallways in between classes is the first line of defense.